Monday, January 2, 2012

bikeriding

From the time I was in second grade until I was in sixth grade we lived in a gated community... it was wonderful... mainly because we could ride our bikes with little to no cars. The neighborhood was a loop... and we would ride round and round and round.

At one point, I really thought I would become a professional bike rider.

We would practice to see who was the best speed bump jumper and who could get the most air. It was wonderful. The hot sunny Southern California summer days were filled with our bikes (which were the most ugly hand-me-down pieces of joy one had ever seen) we would ride to the park and back and down the street to the little pharmacy with the mean lady who worked there (I'm sure she just didn't like dealing with children) she would tell us, as we bought our 10 cent airheads that we needed to bring our mom with us in order to buy something... and we would look at each other wondering why she didn't want our money... probably because our dimes didn't mean as much to her as they did to us.

It was an incredible sense of freedom. Adulthood. We felt so grown up.

When I was at physical therapy last week I asked my therapist what I could do to help my recovery. Mainly, I wanted to know how I could be active... (confession... my scale hates me at the moment... It has been flashing these numbers that I've never seen before... somehow it thinks that the higher the number the more points it gets... I keep trying to tell it that we are playing golf...and we really want low numbers... but it hasn't been listening ) I've been pretty sedentary since early December... because it isn't safe to walk. When I do walk... I twist my knees and ankles from lack of strength. and that makes it really hard to get any type of movement in.

I asked what she thought I could do... safely. And I mentioned a recumbent bicycle. She said that was the perfect piece of equipment... because I could go slow... and not have any chance of falling. Then I was given some guidelines on what I should have.

1. Home Machine (that way I wasn't going to the gym to ride for ten minutes... if I had it at home I could ride for 10 min. take a break, go back in an hour and do another 10.)

2. Lots of handles (on the sides, and front) So I didn't fall while getting on it.

3. Low middle so I could get my legs over safely.

4. Needed to be a recumbent bicycle (with a back rest)

So... I did some research... the one that was perfect was 250 bucks... Seriously... I was frustrated. I decided to post on facebook asking for recommendations (hoping someone would know of a cheaper one.) and one of my friends wrote me saying that her parents had one in their garage they were hoping to get rid of.

The next day we went to take a look at it... it was perfect... and the perfect price... free :) Seriously... huge blessing! So... We got it home.. the electronics didn't work but that was fine... I grabbed my ladybug screwdriver it's red and black... then after finding the manual online, I took apart the electronics... after cleaning out the battery part (with a little help from dad) and making some minor adjustments... it was ready to ride. And fully operational :) even the timer worked!

And now.. slowly but surely... I can start building my strength and stamina.

Now, if only I could feel the wind in my hair and sun on my back... and take a trip down to a little candy store... to buy a piece for 10 cents :) And this time... I don't need my mom :) err... maybe I do... Cause, currently, this girl isn't allowed to go anywhere alone... Mommmmy??????

2 comments:

Anonymous
said...

YOU GO SWEETIE. YOU MAY JUST ENCOURAGE ME TO GET BACK TO EXERCISING ON MY RECUMBENT CYCLE. IT IS GOOD EXERCISE, IF ONE DOES IT ON A REGULAR BASIS. I AM SURE THAT YOU WILL HELP YOUR RECOVERY BY TURNING THOSE PEDALS. LOVE YOU. PAPA